The importance of strong autonomous local unions on the
waterfront is central to the International Longshore and Warehouse
Union movement. ILWU Local 502, part of the Canadian area, has
served the interests of member longshore workers on the Fraser
River for over sixty years.

The growth of New Westminster as a principal river port of
national and international significance created employment and
opportunities for a diverse range of union activity. The gains in
wages, collective bargaining, union dispatch and benefits are
recounted as well as the setbacks and victories out of major strikes.
Chartered in July 1944, ILWU Local 502 adapted to changes
in work and technology as the previous gang system transformed
into new classifications and occupations.

Stories and oral histories bring to life the men and women
who worked on the Fraser River back to 1859. Workplaces and
the dispatch hall may have moved from New Westminster to other
parts of the river, but solidarity, fraternity and pride in the work
remains. Local 502 considers knowing the past and having an
informed membership the best tools to confront challenges now
and in future.